Over the centuries there has been a kind-of tension with the body of Christ regarding Grace and Works. We see evidence in Scripture that We are saved apart from works, yet works are a part of the Christian experience.Some have swung in the opposite direction that Christians should not do works at all, that how we live or do not live really does not matter. Others still however anguish on in life.
Hanging in the Balance
They launch into much "religious" activity, for they fear that if they do not "do" enough good, or "know" enough or "deprive" them selves enough, or have a particular "experience" then they may not "qualify" for the salvation that they seek. These Christians believe , with some rather entrenched convictions that they will be found "wanting" when they face their Lord Jesus Christ.
All theses things, in moderation may be good, but are they good enough for us to somehow earn or merit salvation to "qualify" for it? NO!
Addition to Grace
Where do addition to Grace come from? There are many "additions" to Grace that is, things humans add to the Grace which God extends to any and all who will receive it. Some additions, (and there are as many as there are people) , could be grouped into the following:
Ergonomical Grace-That is, works plus Grace brings salvation.
Ascetical Grace -That is self deprivation plus Grace brings salvation.
Esoterical Grace- That is special knowledge or understanding plus Grace held by a few brings salvation.
Ecstatical Grace-That is an experience plus Grace brings salavtion.
Sacerdotal Grace- That is participation in a given sacrament plus Grace brings salvation.
Why These Additions?
Where have these addition come from and why are they here? How have they come to be attached to the Grace of God ? Well, one reason they are present in the lives of Christians and fellowship is that at heart human begins are legalistic. We find it hard to take in the idea that God would offer us something freely, after all the world we live in does not operate like that. In the world we live and move within nothing is freely given, there are always conditions something that needs to be done in order for us to receive.
The Legalistic Person
When we have additions to Grace we tend to compare ourselves with one another to measure our performance. This is again, due to our built in legalism. The legalism manifest its self in two ways, either the legalistic person will over value their own performance and it manifest it as self righteousness or they under value their performance and it manifest its self as self condemnation. They can never be at rest. There is always something undone, or not done well enough , they do not know enough or have not manifest some spiritual evidence. They can not be at rest. They feel condemned nagged by "guilt" and what they perceive as failure for their lack or spiritual inadequacies. Others however, stride about with criticism of those around them who have not obtained their level of "spiritual maturity".
We all need to recall the words of Paul:
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you
free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.
And so he condemned sin in the flesh,
in
order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in
us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." Rom:8:1-4
Working It Out
So how do we understand Scriptures like:
"Why, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in m y absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" Philippians:2:12
Jeremiah the Prophet was moved to say that "the way of a man is not in himself" Jeremiah:10:23 he understood that humanity simply can not and will not live the life that our God calls us to live.
Paul address this same issue in the Epistle to the Philippians that we need God to touch us at the level of the spirit and give us even the desire to know Him.
"For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Phippians:2:13
This means that the very desire to live the Christian life is given to us by God Himself which should encourage us to know that God has laid that desire upon us. There are some how ever who want to assume that this desire comes from themselves , it is a way by which some attempt to take a measure of credit for their for their salvation.
The Phippians were living in a community that made up largely of retired military people, they were used to be "self sufficient", or looking to a human power base, now they had to come to see that it is all about what Jesus has done and is doing in the lives of Christians not what they or any other has done.That they, and we, need to rely upon Jesus alone.
First, there is not enough time or space in any one article or many articles to expound upon this subject of Grace and works, when we read such verses do we ask the first question we should always ask which is Who is Jesus Christ? If we can just take hold of Jesus and what He has accomplish for us then we can have a better grip on the questions at hand. Who is Jesus?
John the beloved Apostle, calls Jesus "the Word ", Who has always been, He Who is with and is God John:1:1, and this "Word" became one of us, (14)..."the Word became flesh", that is, He is Incarnate in the flesh, humanity.
Why start with the Incarnation?...It is generally understood that Jesus is Fully God and Fully Human, as being one "person" with two natures, yet , with full wholeness of each, and neither a diminishing or augmenting of either , meaning He is simultaneously both, not one or the other.
Jesus is God and worthy of all our worship , adoration and praise, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit , yet He is one with us through the flesh that Jesus shares with us, being "us" He could die for "us", that is humanity as a whole, being God His life is worth more then the sum total of all of "us" combined. This makes Jesus not a"potential" Savior , contingent upon something we do or do not do, but the Savior of us already, what happens is, we through the leading of the Holy Spirit come to see what is and eternally true, that Jesus is the One and only Savior of humanity, us....When we come to believe this, we experience the salvation that Jesus has secured for us if we will but freely receive it.
"For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe." 1Tim:4:10
It Is Finished
One of the last of the seven sacred utterances of our Lord on the cross was "it is finished" John:19:30
The Greek word recorded in John's account and translated as "It is finished" is "tetelestai" , meaning paid in full, there is nothing left outstanding the dept is now and forever canceled. Only Jesus could do this, we could not save ourselves, if we could, we would not need a Savoir.
If Jesus had not completely provided salvation, then it would remain in our hands to accomplish it , which if this were the case, we would all fail the garden of Eden and our first parents choice demonstrates this.
Salvation required a Savior that we might rely upon Him in faith rather then our own efforts which would end in failure. Jesus did for us what none of us could do for ourselves.
The canceling of the debt of sin, gives us the promises of salvation if we will but freely receive it by grace.It can not be merited by our performance.Even the faith to receive salvation is a gift from God and dose not find its origins within our selves, for our faith would be inadequate as is our human righteousness.
"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" Ephesian:2:8
If Jesus had not completely provided salvation, then it would remain in our hands to accomplish it , which if this were the case, we would all fail the garden of Eden and our first parents choice demonstrates this.
Salvation required a Savior that we might rely upon Him in faith rather then our own efforts which would end in failure. Jesus did for us what none of us could do for ourselves.
The canceling of the debt of sin, gives us the promises of salvation if we will but freely receive it by grace.It can not be merited by our performance.Even the faith to receive salvation is a gift from God and dose not find its origins within our selves, for our faith would be inadequate as is our human righteousness.
"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" Ephesian:2:8
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isaiah:64:6
Salvation all is by and through Jesus alone.
Works and Grace
There has been this tension from the very foundation of the church between "works and grace" for some the idea that Salvation is is ours by simply by grace is too easy, there fore too hard for them. Some want to be able to "contribute" somehow to this salvation.
There is a misunderstanding that embracing grace will cause Christians to abandon a righteous life style and descend into lasciviousness. But this is is not the grace of Scripture. Paul speaks of this very notion in Romans
There is a misunderstanding that embracing grace will cause Christians to abandon a righteous life style and descend into lasciviousness. But this is is not the grace of Scripture. Paul speaks of this very notion in Romans
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" Romans:6:1
The grace of the Bible leads us not to sin but rather deeper into the righteousness of our Lord, Paul's answer is found in the very next verse.
"By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (2)
Paul than speaks of the transformed life living in the very life of Jesus and the transformed life He gives to us all. If we truly have come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, then we can not stay as we were, our response to to yield to His leading and live to Him which means we reach out to do good as He did and does.
Grace is not an abandonment of doing good as some mistakenly believe, rather it is the true recognition of Who Jesus is ans all that He did for each of us this transforms us inside and out we are now new creations in Him.
"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,"Titus:2:11-12b
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" 2Corinthians:5:17
We then live out that salvation and works done are merely the evidence of what is now true for us. The works are indications that we have come to believe, we are "working out our salvation" that is giving expression to it, letting it have full reign of our lives letting it be shown forth. We do good works because of the salvation that we have , but not to earn that salvation . In other words we do not have salvation because we do good works but rather we do good works because we do have salvation.
If we have come to believe in Jesus Christ and have experienced the grace of God we will not be able to keep it to our selves it will move us to reach out to others in love to shear that love that our Lord has so graciously shown toward us.
We can not earn it we can not deserve it it is ours through our Lord Jesus alone.Grace works to transform us giving us a new life so that we might show forth all that our Lord has accomplished for us all.Grace works in us nothing need be added to it , Jesus has done it all. Amen
Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor
The
Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
Washington,
Pennsylvania.
www.gcfountainoflife.org
The
Fountain of Life is heard on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in
Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM in the Arden Fair Grounds area
of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela,
Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
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